My Soulmate is A Libero
Thanks to Iran’s clever maneuvers, the atmosphere of the Asian Championship became unexpectedly harmonious. During the round-robin stage and semifinals, the other strong teams thanked Iran for providing them with “practice yachts” and then happily defeated the weakened Iranian team, with the added bonus of being thrashed by the Chinese team.
China’s strength was evident, and coupled with the vexation caused by being oddly underestimated, they put in a lot of effort. They cruised undefeated into the gold medal match. Though, admittedly, against the relatively stronger teams in the later stages, achieving another 3:0 victory might not be feasible. However, 3:1 was acceptable too.
If the match went into the fifth set, that was China’s domain.
Statistics had been gathered, and when playing up to the fifth set against China, the team had a 62% probability of winning. In the realm of competition, this was already an impressive achievement.
Similar to Qin Chunxiao’s rate of blocking the Divine Beasts at 55%, was this low? No, this represented the fact that the Divine Beasts’ balls had less than a fifty-fifty chance of scoring when faced by him. Currently, only a few free players like Qin Chunxiao, Dario, and Billy could achieve this statistic under good conditions.
Among the free players capable of achieving this statistic, Xiao Qin was the youngest, making him truly remarkable.
Coincidentally, none of the attacking players in the Asian Championship were as formidable as the Divine Beasts. There were a few who had started practicing precise attacks like Qiao Mingming, but they posed less of a threat to Qin Chunxiao. After practicing against Qiao Mingming for so long, dealing with these players’ attacks was much easier.
In the gold medal match, China faced Japan.
Newton said, “If you don’t win this one, you won’t have the face to go back and see your folks.”
Everyone agreed, “Lao Niu’s right!”
At this point, Newton became cautious. He included the first team in the starting lineup, letting the young players go all out as soon as they entered the court.
No holding back, let’s snatch away those small points!
The Chinese team of burly men shouted energetically. Against the Japanese team, they had a significant height advantage, whether it was in blocking or in high-point attacks. Utilizing their height advantage, along with the actual strength of the Japanese team, added pressure. For a time, they managed to push themselves to their best condition in the Asian Championship.
China predictably won the gold medal, and the only issue was the tweet from Japan’s team captain, Ennosuke Sakano, after the match. He expressed his hope that Misha Qin’s cold would get better soon. Otherwise, he would keep playing while wearing a mask, and even though he knew it wasn’t intentional, it would still damage the opponent’s pride.
Upon seeing this tweet, Jiang Xiaohai solemnly warned everyone, “Xiaozai really has a cold. Say the same thing if anyone asks, got it?”
Holding the Asian Championship gold medal in his hand, Qin Chunxiao shook it a few times, then lowered his head and took a bite.
Ding Rong walked by and handed him an energy bar, “Eat this if you’re hungry.”
Qin Chunxiao: …I just wanted to see if this gold medal is real gold.
The Asian Championship ended so effortlessly that the guys were initially a bit slow to react. However, Newton didn’t let them bask in the easy victory for too long. He quickly brought up the topic of the World Cup.
“I know it’s difficult to secure the top two places in the World Cup, but miracles are achieved by those who refuse to accept defeat. We need to give it our all in October.”
Newton shrugged, “The Asian Championship was a past, insignificant competition. The real challenges are just beginning. Can any of you guarantee that you’ll easily secure the top two spots in the World Cup?”
Let alone securing the top two, the young players didn’t even dare to shout slogans like “Advance to the semifinals,” because they knew how daunting the challenge was.
Xiong Wu cast divination sticks, “Oh, great misfortune!”
Fu Biyang, Aizimaiti, Kong Duojin, and Luo He immediately jumped out and dragged him aside, making gestures as if to beat him up. Min Yaoyang trembled as he intervened, “Xiao Wu just spoke the truth. Why are you trying to hit him?”
Xiong Wu sneered, “Yang Yang, hold onto Fu Xiaoji, I want to see how these three weaklings will deal with me!”
Seeing this group of mischievous youngsters fooling around, Newton and Jiang Xiaohai exchanged a glance, deeply sighed, and realized that they were truly becoming uneasy.
The coaching staff’s solemn atmosphere continued until they disembarked upon their return to China.
Upon exiting the terminal, they noticed a person standing not far away. The person was wearing sunglasses and a mask, holding a large bouquet of blooming white roses.
There were at least 99 of them.
Qin Chunxiao’s face lit up with surprise as Lu Xuandong placed the bouquet of roses in his arms. Lu Xuandong politely greeted everyone, “Hello, everyone. I’m just here to deliver some flowers. I’ll be leaving soon and won’t disturb you.”
“You’re leaving already?” Qin Chunxiao held the flowers, and his excitement from just getting up seemed to deflate.
Lu Xuandong ruffled the teenager’s hair, “Send me a message when you’re not busy.”
Then he left. Newton, Jiang Xiaohai, and Chang Xiaole felt that Lu Xuandong was incredibly considerate.
Newton said, “Lu Xuandong is a good person. He knows we have to report the results to the leadership later.”
Ding Rong added, “I haven’t heard about Zhe Yue having any business in Beijing recently.” This wasn’t just about Zhe Yue visiting Xiao Zai. It didn’t disturb Xiao Zai’s time as an athlete either.
As a CEO, Lu Xuandong was capable of being so considerate, even in these situations. In fact, it was because Lu Xuandong was a CEO who had managed a multi-billion-dollar business empire even more successfully in reality. He understood the nuances and treated Qin Chunxiao’s teammates and coaches politely, never causing Qin Chunxiao any embarrassment.
Lao Niu was also an open-minded person. He took the players in front of the leadership and praised them for quite some time within two hours. After boasting and accepting praise, he then sent the players away and went to shower his leadership with flattery in private.
With his skills, today’s flattery was definitely going to be impressive, and he would progress by leaps and bounds.
Chang Xiaole admired, “If I had Lao Niu’s way with words, back when I played beach volleyball, both the coach and my partner would have listened to me, no matter what.”
Team doctor Wang Yan chuckled, “That’s not possible. Lao Niu only flatters the leadership. He’s not like this in front of people he’s close to.”
In front of a loved one, one should remain relaxed and happy, not rack their brains to please the other person. As far as Wang Yan knew, in front of his wife, Lao Niu was the one being pampered. Whether it was when he went to Springfield College for education abroad or when he coached in Italy, that lady supported Newton fully. As this respected coach of the national team walked his journey, the strength he derived from his wife was crucial.
After receiving the message, Lu Xuandong waited outside the Temple of Heaven Hotel. Qin Chunxiao quickly came out, and Lu Xuandong was about to greet him when he felt a warm, slightly damp body collide into his embrace.
“Until October, I’ll still be here for training, and the coaches said I have to be back by 10 p.m. every night.” Qin Chunxiao blinked after looking up, “You know, we can’t disrupt training.”
Lu Xuandong hugged him, his tone infinitely gentle, “Since you’ve washed your hair, why not blow-dry it before coming out? Be cautious even if you’re not afraid of catching a cold.”
Qin Chunxiao said candidly, “I wanted to see you as soon as possible.”
After saying that, he tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and silently counted, 3, 2…
Soft lips landed on his forehead, then his nose, and his lips. They lightly caressed his lips before moving away.
“Go blow-dry your hair.”
Lu Xuandong mentioned that he was starting a new business in Beijing, introducing his newly brewed soy sauce into every supermarket in the city. To achieve this goal, Qin Chunxiao wouldn’t stop working even after his training ended.
“I’m counting on this deal for next year’s thesis.” Lu Xuandong added.
What he said made Qin Chunxiao almost go and blow-dry his hair himself, just to avoid interfering with Lu Xuandong selling soy sauce.
As someone who had balanced the Brazilian league and his studies at Zhonghai University, no one understood how painful writing a thesis was better than Qin Chunxiao.
It was that kind of pain where your heart ached, your liver itched, and no matter how you pulled your hair, you couldn’t write a decent opening. And even when you finally managed to write the opening, you stared at the content and it remained a mess. You scratched and scratched but didn’t know what on earth you had scratched out. In the end, the professor sent it back, telling you to rewrite it.
He was able to graduate solely because that year, a group of killer whales arrived on the Brazilian coast, not only eating several sharks but also saving a stranded young killer whale. And Qin Chunxiao happened to be nearby on the beach, sipping coconut water and surfing. He joined the rescue efforts, which gave him inspiration for his new thesis.
Lu Xuandong rented an apartment in Beijing. Of course, he had considered buying a place there, not only for living but also as an investment. However, law-abiding little Lu was paying into social security honestly to qualify for purchasing property in the capital.
“You need to pay into social security for five years to qualify. I also want to buy a place near Zhonghai University next year, but properties in that district in Qingdao also require social security contributions. Luckily, it’s only for one year. For now, I’m just renting in these two places.”
Lu Xuandong didn’t mention the house he had kept for Mei Xiangnan. It was her property, and he, as a non-blood-related older brother, couldn’t possibly move in with Qin Chunxiao.
The apartment he rented was near the Temple of Heaven Hotel. It was in a good community with decent security, though it was a bit old. It was a 70-square-meter two-bedroom apartment with a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and a small balcony with potted plants. The decoration had a style from the 1990s, and both the appliances and furniture were new.
After plugging in the hairdryer and intending to dry Qin Chunxiao’s hair, the young man shook his head, “It’s already dry.”
With sunlight outside and his own body temperature, Qin Chunxiao’s short hair dried quickly. Lu Xuandong reached out and touched his head. His fingers applied light pressure as they moved over, almost massaging, making Qin Chunxiao feel very comfortable. Lu Xuandong motioned for him to sit on the couch and helped him relax his shoulders.
“It’s a pity the room is a bit small,” Lu Xuandong felt sorry for not being able to rent a larger space for Snow Leopard to move around.
Qin Chunxiao, however, was puzzled by another question, “I was just about to ask earlier, why did you rent a two-bedroom apartment?”
Lu Xuandong was momentarily taken aback, then he realized that Qin Chunxiao was suggesting that they could share a room.
The atmosphere became ambiguous.
Qin Chunxiao looked up at him, “I noticed just now, you seem a bit reserved.”
Even when they kissed, he only dared to touch their lips together, unlike the wild beast that went wild for 3 minutes and 10 seconds during their first kiss.
Lifting his foot, Qin Chunxiao gave Lu Xuandong a playful nudge as he sat down on the couch.
“Tell me, did you miss me while I was gone, and I don’t mean during the day.” A teasing glint appeared in his blue eyes, a natural and unrefined wildness that made Lu Xuandong’s heart race. “I mean, do you miss me at night?”
Lu Xuandong fell silent for a moment and tugged at his tie.
“Yes.”
In the next instant, he embraced Qin Chunxiao and turned him around, pinning down this audacious wild creature, and leaned down to nibble on him.
Qin Chunxiao held onto Lu Xuandong’s neck.
Of course, this kissing eccentric didn’t need to restrain himself. Qin Chunxiao was more than willing to comply with him.
After a while, Qin Chunxiao felt that something wasn’t quite right.
The kissing eccentric seemed dissatisfied with the fact that they had separated right after confessing, so he was unusually wild today.
As he caught his breath, Qin Chunxiao pondered for a moment during his breathing, feeling that taking things further might not be a problem. However, when he reached out, Lu Xuandong refused his further advances with a very firm tone.
“No, I can’t interfere with your training!”
Qin Chunxiao was puzzled, “Huh? I asked Yashenka, and he said as long as the preliminary work is done, it won’t affect training! Yunzi’s skills might be lacking, but Yashenka is still fine.”
Yashenka was dating Lu Yunchen. Since his younger brother had no issues, his older brother should be fine too, right?
Lu Xuandong: “…I’m different from Yunzi. I can’t interfere with your training!”
Qin Chunxiao: “Why not?”
Because Lu Yunchen was only 188 centimeters tall, and Ashenka was also 188 centimeters tall. They had similar body sizes. However, Lu Xuandong was 197 centimeters tall, while Qin Chunxiao was only 180 centimeters. How could Lu Yunchen’s template fit his brother’s body?
After an inspection, Qin Chunxiao realized that Lu Xuandong was right.
He blinked slowly, crossed his legs, folded his arms, and his tone turned serious, “This matter, let’s discuss it at length.”
Lu Xuandong: “Mmm.”
Finally, they took a basketball and went to the basketball court downstairs to play with the old men in the neighborhood.
Since they couldn’t engage in physical activity, they could only engage in a different kind.
My Soulmate is A Libero
Thanks to Iran’s clever maneuvers, the atmosphere of the Asian Championship became unexpectedly harmonious. During the round-robin stage and semifinals, the other strong teams thanked Iran for providing them with “practice yachts” and then happily defeated the weakened Iranian team, with the added bonus of being thrashed by the Chinese team.
China’s strength was evident, and coupled with the vexation caused by being oddly underestimated, they put in a lot of effort. They cruised undefeated into the gold medal match. Though, admittedly, against the relatively stronger teams in the later stages, achieving another 3:0 victory might not be feasible. However, 3:1 was acceptable too.
If the match went into the fifth set, that was China’s domain.
Statistics had been gathered, and when playing up to the fifth set against China, the team had a 62% probability of winning. In the realm of competition, this was already an impressive achievement.
Similar to Qin Chunxiao’s rate of blocking the Divine Beasts at 55%, was this low? No, this represented the fact that the Divine Beasts’ balls had less than a fifty-fifty chance of scoring when faced by him. Currently, only a few free players like Qin Chunxiao, Dario, and Billy could achieve this statistic under good conditions.
Among the free players capable of achieving this statistic, Xiao Qin was the youngest, making him truly remarkable.
Coincidentally, none of the attacking players in the Asian Championship were as formidable as the Divine Beasts. There were a few who had started practicing precise attacks like Qiao Mingming, but they posed less of a threat to Qin Chunxiao. After practicing against Qiao Mingming for so long, dealing with these players’ attacks was much easier.
In the gold medal match, China faced Japan.
Newton said, “If you don’t win this one, you won’t have the face to go back and see your folks.”
Everyone agreed, “Lao Niu’s right!”
At this point, Newton became cautious. He included the first team in the starting lineup, letting the young players go all out as soon as they entered the court.
No holding back, let’s snatch away those small points!
The Chinese team of burly men shouted energetically. Against the Japanese team, they had a significant height advantage, whether it was in blocking or in high-point attacks. Utilizing their height advantage, along with the actual strength of the Japanese team, added pressure. For a time, they managed to push themselves to their best condition in the Asian Championship.
China predictably won the gold medal, and the only issue was the tweet from Japan’s team captain, Ennosuke Sakano, after the match. He expressed his hope that Misha Qin’s cold would get better soon. Otherwise, he would keep playing while wearing a mask, and even though he knew it wasn’t intentional, it would still damage the opponent’s pride.
Upon seeing this tweet, Jiang Xiaohai solemnly warned everyone, “Xiaozai really has a cold. Say the same thing if anyone asks, got it?”
Holding the Asian Championship gold medal in his hand, Qin Chunxiao shook it a few times, then lowered his head and took a bite.
Ding Rong walked by and handed him an energy bar, “Eat this if you’re hungry.”
Qin Chunxiao: …I just wanted to see if this gold medal is real gold.
The Asian Championship ended so effortlessly that the guys were initially a bit slow to react. However, Newton didn’t let them bask in the easy victory for too long. He quickly brought up the topic of the World Cup.
“I know it’s difficult to secure the top two places in the World Cup, but miracles are achieved by those who refuse to accept defeat. We need to give it our all in October.”
Newton shrugged, “The Asian Championship was a past, insignificant competition. The real challenges are just beginning. Can any of you guarantee that you’ll easily secure the top two spots in the World Cup?”
Let alone securing the top two, the young players didn’t even dare to shout slogans like “Advance to the semifinals,” because they knew how daunting the challenge was.
Xiong Wu cast divination sticks, “Oh, great misfortune!”
Fu Biyang, Aizimaiti, Kong Duojin, and Luo He immediately jumped out and dragged him aside, making gestures as if to beat him up. Min Yaoyang trembled as he intervened, “Xiao Wu just spoke the truth. Why are you trying to hit him?”
Xiong Wu sneered, “Yang Yang, hold onto Fu Xiaoji, I want to see how these three weaklings will deal with me!”
Seeing this group of mischievous youngsters fooling around, Newton and Jiang Xiaohai exchanged a glance, deeply sighed, and realized that they were truly becoming uneasy.
The coaching staff’s solemn atmosphere continued until they disembarked upon their return to China.
Upon exiting the terminal, they noticed a person standing not far away. The person was wearing sunglasses and a mask, holding a large bouquet of blooming white roses.
There were at least 99 of them.
Qin Chunxiao’s face lit up with surprise as Lu Xuandong placed the bouquet of roses in his arms. Lu Xuandong politely greeted everyone, “Hello, everyone. I’m just here to deliver some flowers. I’ll be leaving soon and won’t disturb you.”
“You’re leaving already?” Qin Chunxiao held the flowers, and his excitement from just getting up seemed to deflate.
Lu Xuandong ruffled the teenager’s hair, “Send me a message when you’re not busy.”
Then he left. Newton, Jiang Xiaohai, and Chang Xiaole felt that Lu Xuandong was incredibly considerate.
Newton said, “Lu Xuandong is a good person. He knows we have to report the results to the leadership later.”
Ding Rong added, “I haven’t heard about Zhe Yue having any business in Beijing recently.” This wasn’t just about Zhe Yue visiting Xiao Zai. It didn’t disturb Xiao Zai’s time as an athlete either.
As a CEO, Lu Xuandong was capable of being so considerate, even in these situations. In fact, it was because Lu Xuandong was a CEO who had managed a multi-billion-dollar business empire even more successfully in reality. He understood the nuances and treated Qin Chunxiao’s teammates and coaches politely, never causing Qin Chunxiao any embarrassment.
Lao Niu was also an open-minded person. He took the players in front of the leadership and praised them for quite some time within two hours. After boasting and accepting praise, he then sent the players away and went to shower his leadership with flattery in private.
With his skills, today’s flattery was definitely going to be impressive, and he would progress by leaps and bounds.
Chang Xiaole admired, “If I had Lao Niu’s way with words, back when I played beach volleyball, both the coach and my partner would have listened to me, no matter what.”
Team doctor Wang Yan chuckled, “That’s not possible. Lao Niu only flatters the leadership. He’s not like this in front of people he’s close to.”
In front of a loved one, one should remain relaxed and happy, not rack their brains to please the other person. As far as Wang Yan knew, in front of his wife, Lao Niu was the one being pampered. Whether it was when he went to Springfield College for education abroad or when he coached in Italy, that lady supported Newton fully. As this respected coach of the national team walked his journey, the strength he derived from his wife was crucial.
After receiving the message, Lu Xuandong waited outside the Temple of Heaven Hotel. Qin Chunxiao quickly came out, and Lu Xuandong was about to greet him when he felt a warm, slightly damp body collide into his embrace.
“Until October, I’ll still be here for training, and the coaches said I have to be back by 10 p.m. every night.” Qin Chunxiao blinked after looking up, “You know, we can’t disrupt training.”
Lu Xuandong hugged him, his tone infinitely gentle, “Since you’ve washed your hair, why not blow-dry it before coming out? Be cautious even if you’re not afraid of catching a cold.”
Qin Chunxiao said candidly, “I wanted to see you as soon as possible.”
After saying that, he tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and silently counted, 3, 2…
Soft lips landed on his forehead, then his nose, and his lips. They lightly caressed his lips before moving away.
“Go blow-dry your hair.”
Lu Xuandong mentioned that he was starting a new business in Beijing, introducing his newly brewed soy sauce into every supermarket in the city. To achieve this goal, Qin Chunxiao wouldn’t stop working even after his training ended.
“I’m counting on this deal for next year’s thesis.” Lu Xuandong added.
What he said made Qin Chunxiao almost go and blow-dry his hair himself, just to avoid interfering with Lu Xuandong selling soy sauce.
As someone who had balanced the Brazilian league and his studies at Zhonghai University, no one understood how painful writing a thesis was better than Qin Chunxiao.
It was that kind of pain where your heart ached, your liver itched, and no matter how you pulled your hair, you couldn’t write a decent opening. And even when you finally managed to write the opening, you stared at the content and it remained a mess. You scratched and scratched but didn’t know what on earth you had scratched out. In the end, the professor sent it back, telling you to rewrite it.
He was able to graduate solely because that year, a group of killer whales arrived on the Brazilian coast, not only eating several sharks but also saving a stranded young killer whale. And Qin Chunxiao happened to be nearby on the beach, sipping coconut water and surfing. He joined the rescue efforts, which gave him inspiration for his new thesis.
Lu Xuandong rented an apartment in Beijing. Of course, he had considered buying a place there, not only for living but also as an investment. However, law-abiding little Lu was paying into social security honestly to qualify for purchasing property in the capital.
“You need to pay into social security for five years to qualify. I also want to buy a place near Zhonghai University next year, but properties in that district in Qingdao also require social security contributions. Luckily, it’s only for one year. For now, I’m just renting in these two places.”
Lu Xuandong didn’t mention the house he had kept for Mei Xiangnan. It was her property, and he, as a non-blood-related older brother, couldn’t possibly move in with Qin Chunxiao.
The apartment he rented was near the Temple of Heaven Hotel. It was in a good community with decent security, though it was a bit old. It was a 70-square-meter two-bedroom apartment with a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and a small balcony with potted plants. The decoration had a style from the 1990s, and both the appliances and furniture were new.
After plugging in the hairdryer and intending to dry Qin Chunxiao’s hair, the young man shook his head, “It’s already dry.”
With sunlight outside and his own body temperature, Qin Chunxiao’s short hair dried quickly. Lu Xuandong reached out and touched his head. His fingers applied light pressure as they moved over, almost massaging, making Qin Chunxiao feel very comfortable. Lu Xuandong motioned for him to sit on the couch and helped him relax his shoulders.
“It’s a pity the room is a bit small,” Lu Xuandong felt sorry for not being able to rent a larger space for Snow Leopard to move around.
Qin Chunxiao, however, was puzzled by another question, “I was just about to ask earlier, why did you rent a two-bedroom apartment?”
Lu Xuandong was momentarily taken aback, then he realized that Qin Chunxiao was suggesting that they could share a room.
The atmosphere became ambiguous.
Qin Chunxiao looked up at him, “I noticed just now, you seem a bit reserved.”
Even when they kissed, he only dared to touch their lips together, unlike the wild beast that went wild for 3 minutes and 10 seconds during their first kiss.
Lifting his foot, Qin Chunxiao gave Lu Xuandong a playful nudge as he sat down on the couch.
“Tell me, did you miss me while I was gone, and I don’t mean during the day.” A teasing glint appeared in his blue eyes, a natural and unrefined wildness that made Lu Xuandong’s heart race. “I mean, do you miss me at night?”
Lu Xuandong fell silent for a moment and tugged at his tie.
“Yes.”
In the next instant, he embraced Qin Chunxiao and turned him around, pinning down this audacious wild creature, and leaned down to nibble on him.
Qin Chunxiao held onto Lu Xuandong’s neck.
Of course, this kissing eccentric didn’t need to restrain himself. Qin Chunxiao was more than willing to comply with him.
After a while, Qin Chunxiao felt that something wasn’t quite right.
The kissing eccentric seemed dissatisfied with the fact that they had separated right after confessing, so he was unusually wild today.
As he caught his breath, Qin Chunxiao pondered for a moment during his breathing, feeling that taking things further might not be a problem. However, when he reached out, Lu Xuandong refused his further advances with a very firm tone.
“No, I can’t interfere with your training!”
Qin Chunxiao was puzzled, “Huh? I asked Yashenka, and he said as long as the preliminary work is done, it won’t affect training! Yunzi’s skills might be lacking, but Yashenka is still fine.”
Yashenka was dating Lu Yunchen. Since his younger brother had no issues, his older brother should be fine too, right?
Lu Xuandong: “…I’m different from Yunzi. I can’t interfere with your training!”
Qin Chunxiao: “Why not?”
Because Lu Yunchen was only 188 centimeters tall, and Ashenka was also 188 centimeters tall. They had similar body sizes. However, Lu Xuandong was 197 centimeters tall, while Qin Chunxiao was only 180 centimeters. How could Lu Yunchen’s template fit his brother’s body?
After an inspection, Qin Chunxiao realized that Lu Xuandong was right.
He blinked slowly, crossed his legs, folded his arms, and his tone turned serious, “This matter, let’s discuss it at length.”
Lu Xuandong: “Mmm.”
Finally, they took a basketball and went to the basketball court downstairs to play with the old men in the neighborhood.
Since they couldn’t engage in physical activity, they could only engage in a different kind.
